1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of showerhead attachments. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of showerhead attachments for creating a scented environment using running water and aromatic material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Specifically, aromas which create soothing environments may have therapeutic properties and are increasingly being utilized as an alternative means of relaxation and a source of intense physical stimulation and pleasure. Certain aromas are well known to have a very soothing effect. One of the disadvantages with prior art devices is that they involve the addition of additives into the flow of water provided by a showerhead conduit, thereby exposing a user's body directly to the aromatic material and releasing only a small fraction into the ambient air. Another disadvantage with prior art devices is that creating such an aromatic environment in a bathroom or shower stall may cause problems when using burning candles or incense sticks due to high humidity and may result in the release of smoke in a small enclosed area.
The following sixty-one (61) prior art patents are found to be pertinent to the field of the present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 843,260 issued to Cloud on Feb. 5, 1907 for "Bathing Apparatus" (hereafter the "Cloud Patent"); PA1 2. U.S. Pat. No. 877,045 issued to Brooks on Jan. 21, 1908 for "Spray" (hereafter the "Brooks Patent"); PA1 3. U.S. Pat. No. 1,146,353 issued to Shapley on Jul. 13, 1915 for "Faucet Attachment For Shower Baths" (hereafter the "Shapley Patent"); PA1 4. U.S. Pat. No. 1,264,772 issued to Butler on Apr. 30, 1918 for "Medical Liquid Deliverer Attachment For Water Pipes Of Bath Tubs" (hereafter the "Butler Patent"); PA1 5. U.S. Pat. No. 1,658,830 issued to Bingham on Feb. 14, 1928 for "Medicinal Spraying Device" (hereafter the "Bingham Patent"); PA1 6. U.S. Pat. No. 1,973,319 issued to Nelson on Sep. 11, 1934 for "Soap And Crystal Dispenser" (hereafter the "Nelson Patent"); PA1 7. U.S. Pat. No. 2,058,901 issued to McPherson on Oct. 27, 1936 for "Solution Making And Dispensing Apparatus" (hereafter the "McPherson Patent"); PA1 8. U.S. Pat. No. 2,189,936 issued to Brandfon on Feb. 13, 1940 for "Mixer For Deliquescent Bath Spray Tablets" (hereafter the "Brandfon Patent"); PA1 9. U.S. Pat. No. 2,199,478 issued to Bruzaud on May 7, 1940 for "Shower Head" (hereafter the "Bruzaud Patent"); PA1 10. U.S. Pat. No. 2,201,528 issued to Freng on May 21, 1940 for "Apparatus For Adding Extracts Or The Like To Shower Baths" (hereafter the "Freng Patent"); PA1 11. U.S. Pat. No. 2,238,969 issued to Butterfield on Apr. 22, 1941 for "Dishwashing Apparatus" (hereafter the "Butterfield Patent"); PA1 12. U.S. Pat. No. 2,478,348 issued to Wicker et al. on Aug. 9, 1949 for "Sanitary Shower Stall" (hereafter the "Wicker Patent"); PA1 13. U.S. Pat. No. 2,602,699 issued to Otto et al. on Jul. 8, 1952 for "Mixing Device For Water Lines" (hereafter the "Otto Patent"); PA1 14. U.S. Pat. No. 2,609,232 issued to Taulman on Sep. 2, 1952 for "Shower" (hereafter the "Taulman Patent"); PA1 15. U.S. Pat. No. 2,659,627 issued to McConnell on Nov. 17, 1953 for "Shower Head" (hereafter the "McConnell Patent"); PA1 16. U.S. Pat. No. 2,907,528 issued to Lambton on Oct. 6, 1959 for "Mixing Device For Delivering Liquid Mixtures Or Solutions" (hereafter the "Lambton Patent"); PA1 17. U.S. Pat. No. 2,975,980 issued to Siebert et al. on Mar. 21, 1961 for "Shower Heads" (hereafter the "Siebert Patent"); PA1 18. U.S. Pat. No. 3,003,703 issued to Lambton on Oct. 10, 1961 for "Device For Delivering Liquid Mixtures" (hereafter the "Lambton Patent"); PA1 19. U.S. Pat. No. 3,008,650 issued to Prokop, Sr. on Nov. 14, 1961 for "Shower Head" (hereafter the "Prokop Patent"); PA1 20. U.S. Pat. No. 3,018,969 issued to Gentry on Jan. 30, 1962 for "Dual Purpose Shower Head Assembly" (hereafter the "Gentry Patent"); PA1 21. U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,345 issued to Wukowitz on Oct. 8, 1963 for "Shower Bath Water Control With Additive Attachment" (hereafter the "Wukowitz Patent"); PA1 22. U.S. Pat. No. 3,134,545 issued to Armond on May 26, 1964 for "Water And Soap Shower Spray" (hereafter the "Arnond Patent"); PA1 23. U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,579 issued to Tomaso on Apr. 27, 1965 for "Tubular Container Holder For Shower Head" (hereafter the "Tomaso Patent"); PA1 24. U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,788 issued to Davis on Aug. 10, 1965 for "Dispenser" (hereafter the "Davis Patent"); PA1 25. U.S. Pat. No. 3,212,716 issued to Mills et al. on Oct. 19, 1965 for "Materials Dispensing Shower Head Device" (hereafter the "Mills Patent"); PA1 26. U.S. Pat. No. 3,230,550 issued to Carlson on Jan. 25, 1966 for "Sanitary Shower Stall" (hereafter the "Carlson Patent"); PA1 27. U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,320 issued to Camp on Nov. 14, 1967 for "Shower Head Valve" (hereafter the "Clamp Patent"); PA1 28. U.S. Pat. No. 3,486,695 issued to Novak on Dec. 30, 1969 for "Shower Water Additive Dispensing Apparatus" (hereafter the "Novak Patent"); PA1 29. U.S. Pat. No. 3,495,948 issued to Long et al. on Feb. 17, 1970 for "Bypass Chemical Dissolver" (hereafter the "Long Patent"); PA1 30. U.S. Pat. No. 3,655,135 issued to Altman et al. on Apr. 11, 1972 for "Steam Outlet Head With A Dispenser For Fragrance Or Medicant" (hereafter the "Altman Patent"); PA1 31. U.S. Pat. No. 3,764,074 issued to James on Oct. 9, 1973 for "Shower Head And Liquid Agent Dispensing Attachment" (hereafter the "James Patent"); PA1 32. U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,747 issued to Buzzi et al. on Mar. 19, 1974 for "Device For Aspirating And Admixing Additives Into A Stream" (hereafter the "Buzzi Patent"); PA1 33. U.S. Pat. No. 3,801,018 issued to Plotz on Apr. 2, 1974 for "Shower Head" (hereafter the "Plotz Patent"); PA1 34. U.S. Pat. No. 3,842,447 issued to Usher on Oct. 22, 1974 for "Device For The Introduction Of Fluent Medium Into A Main Flow Of Liquid Passing Along A Closed Passage, Such As A Pipe" (hereafter the "Usher Patent"); PA1 35. U.S. Pat. No. 3,847,354 issued to Lemond on Nov. 12, 1974 for "Shower Head Additive Dispenser" (hereafter the "Lemond Patent"); PA1 36. U.S. Pat. No. 3,917,172 issued to O'Hare on Nov. 4, 1975 for "Fluid Mixing And Dispensing Apparatus" (hereafter the "O'Hare Patent"); PA1 37. U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,686 issued to Lopez on Jun. 22, 1976 for "Showerhead With Secondary Liquid Dispenser" (hereafter the "Lopez Patent"); PA1 38. U.S. Pat. No. 4,055,278 issued to Seymour on Oct. 25, 1977 for "Dispensing Shower Head" (hereafter the "Seymour Patent"); PA1 39. U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,139 issued to Migliozzi on Mar. 28, 1978 for "Multi-Carrier Dispenser Fixture For Shower Heads" (hereafter the "Migliozzi Patent"); PA1 40. U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,232 issued to Pollinzi on Dec. 26, 1978 for "Automatic Shower Dispenser" (hereafter the "Pollinzi Patent"); PA1 41. U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,100 issued to Karp on Feb. 19, 1980 for "Fluid Dispenser For A Shower Bath" (hereafter the "Karp Patent"); PA1 42. U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,368 issued to Legros et al. on Jul. 8, 1980 for "Device For Aerating And Chemically Activating Shower Water" (hereafter the "Legros Patent"); PA1 43. U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,013 issued to Davison on Aug. 19, 1980 for "Shower Head Fluid Dispenser" (hereafter the "Davison Patent"); PA1 44. U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,796 issued to Fugent et al. on Aug. 4, 1981 for "Bathroom Mixing Device" (hereafter the "Fugent Patent"); PA1 45. U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,050 issued to Davis et al. on Aug. 9, 1983 for "Quick Shower Or Power Shower" (hereafter the "Davis Patent"); PA1 46. U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,105 issued to Pitroda on Feb. 21, 1984 for "Shower Device" (hereafter the "Pitroda Patent"); PA1 47. U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,462 issued to Greenhut on Aug. 7, 1984 for "Shower Dispensing Container-Receiver Coupling System" (hereafter the "Greenhut Patent"); PA1 48. U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,964 issued to Kaeser on Aug. 28, 1984 for "Automatic Mixing Device For Use In A Shower Head" (hereafter the "Kaeser Patent"); PA1 49. U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,095 issued to Pronk on Nov. 18, 1986 for "Liquid Adding Apparatus And Method For A Shower Fixture" (hereafter the "Pronk Patent"); PA1 50. U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,225 issued to Wagner on Oct. 10, 1989 for "Cleaning Apparatus And Method For Bath Enclosures " (hereafter the "Wagner Patent"); PA1 51. U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,765 issued to Poe on Feb. 20, 1990 for "Coupling For Mixing Lotions Or Other Liquids With Shower Water" (hereafter the "Poe Patent"); PA1 52. U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,171 issued to Cupit on May 1, 1990 for "Showerhead Dispenser" (hereafter the "Cupit Patent"); PA1 53. U.S. Pat. No. 4,956,883 issued to Lane on Sep. 18, 1990 for "Shower Fixture" (hereafter the "Lane Patent"); PA1 54. U.S. Pat. No. :5,004,158 issued to Halem et al. on Apr. 2, 1991 for "Fluid Dispensing And Mixing Device" (hereafter the "Halem Patent"); PA1 55. U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,553 issued to Chambers on Dec. 10, 1991 for "Showerhead Assembly" (hereafter the "Chambers Patent"); PA1 56. U.S. Pat. No. 5,093,943 issued to Wei on Mar. 10, 1992 for "Multi-Function Shower Head" (hereafter the "Wei Patent"); PA1 57. U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,858 issued to Berry on Jan. 4, 1994 for "Shower Soap System" (hereafter the "Berry Patent"); PA1 58. U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,476 issued to Ohyama et al. on Apr. 26, 1994 for "Shower Bathing Device" (hereafter the "Ohyama Patent"); PA1 59. U.S. Pat. No. 5,333,789 issued to Garneys on Aug. 2, 1994 for "Soap Dispenser Insert For A Shower Head" (hereafter the "Garneys Patent"); PA1 60. U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,892 issued to Conte on Oct. 4, 1994 for "Unitary, Multi-Purpose, Self-Contained Selection, Dilution, Mixing And Dispensing Apparatus" (hereafter the "Conte Patent"); and PA1 61. U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,516 issued to Smyrl on Oct. 3, 1995 for "Showerhead With Selectable Liquid Dispenser" (hereafter the "Smyrl Patent").
The Cloud Patent discloses a bathing apparatus. It comprises a cylindrical casing with an upper head removably secured thereto and a lower head removably secured thereto, where the upper head is adapted to connect with any convenient source of water supply. The cylindrical casing receives and stores a bar of soap or other matter therein. The water entering the cylindrical casing will dissolve the soap, in which the water and the dissolved soap enter into a hose which is connected to a delivery chamber for delivering water and the dissolved soap to a user.
The Brooks Patent discloses a spray which is adapted to be connected to a water supply pipe. The spray has a plurality of chambers for receiving a chemical ingredient therein. A rotating mechanism is attached to the spray for rotating and directing a flow of water to one of the chambers under pressure for spraying the water from the spray.
The Shapley Patent discloses a faucet attachment for shower baths. It is a simple and comparatively inexpensive shower bath attachment which is clamped to any faucet and adjusted to any angle within a limited range for directing the jets of water to the desired locations.
The Butler Patent discloses a medical liquid deliverer attachment for water pipes of bath tubs. It comprises a hollow container with a removable cover and an integral bottom end. An opposite tube is threadedly engaged with a spray head.
The Bingham Patent discloses a medicinal spraying device. It comprises an outer casing which has a base and a top detachably secured to the base. A handle portion is attached to the base for receiving a flexible hose to supply water to the outer casing of the spraying device.
The Nelson Patent discloses a soap and crystal dispenser which is attached to a water spray nozzle.
The McPherson Patent discloses a solution making and dispensing apparatus.
The Brandfon Patent discloses a mixer for deliquescent bath spray tablets. It comprises a hollow cylinder container with a hollow tube which extends outside of the container and connects between a showerhead and a water supply conduit. In the midway portion the tube are a series of small perforations for discharging liquid and causing turbulent condition therein. At an upper portion of the tube there is a small transverse duct open at one of its ends to the hollow container and having in its upper side an orifice. A tablet of perfume or medicate material is disposed within the container. The water flows through the tube, a portion entering the duct through the orifice to be discharged at its open end, partially filling the container therefore to reenter the tube through the small perforations in a charged condition so that the water will be perfumed or medicated by the immersed tablet and mixed with the outflow to be dispensed by the spray head.
The Bruzaud Patent discloses a showerhead.
The Freng Patent discloses an apparatus for adding extracts or the like to shower baths. It comprises a piston pump and an exchangeable vessel for extract.
The Butterfield Patent discloses a dishwashing apparatus.
The Wicker Patent discloses a sanitary shower stall.
The Otto Patent discloses a mixing device for water lines.
The Taulman Patent discloses a shower.
The McConnell Patent discloses a showerhead.
The Lambton Patent discloses a mixing device for delivering liquid mixtures or solutions. It comprises a housing with an inlet and outlet openings for the water and holding means engageable with a closed container within the housing and filled with the substance to be mixed with the water to open the container and permit discharge of the contents of the container into the housing.
The Siebert Patent discloses showerheads.
The Lambton Patent discloses a device for delivering liquid mixtures. It comprises a housing with a cylindrical portion which merges into a belled portion. The cylindrical portion has a bore which provides the inlet opening for the water to enter into the housing while the outer end of the belled portion is closed by a detachable perforated cover which provides the outlet and through which the liquid issues as spray.
The Prokop Patent discloses a showerhead.
The Gentry Patent discloses a dual purpose showerhead assembly.
The Wukowitz Patent discloses a shower bath water control with an additive attachment. The attachment has a section of conduit with an upper end connected to a main water supply conduit and a lower end connected to a showerhead. The attachment also includes a downwardly extending pipe portion containing a valve which is regulated by a handle to control the rate of flow of liquid through the pipe portion from a container holding the liquid.
The Armond Patent discloses a water and soap shower spray which is mounted parallel to the main showerhead.
The Tomaso Patent discloses a tubular container holder for a showerhead.
The Davis Patent discloses a dispenser which is coupled into a main water supply conduit. The dispenser has a mechanism which manually controls the amount of substance into the shower water. The mechanism serves to dispense the substance into the shower water under pressure from an expendable aerosol water.
The Mills Patent discloses a materials dispensing showerhead device. It comprises a valve mechanism which has a position to provide communication between a soap container and another position to provide a flow restriction in a water flow passage through the device, thereby creating a lower pressure area by the flow restriction to aspirate liquid soap out of the soap container and into the shower water flow stream.
The Carlson Patent discloses a sanitary shower stall.
The Camp Patent discloses a showerhead valve.
The Novak Patent discloses a shower water additive dispensing apparatus. It comprises a plurality of additive reservoirs, a multiple position valve, a timing valve, and separate conduits with metering valves for metering the rate of flow of shower water additive through the conduits to the multiple position valve.
The Long Patent discloses a bypass chemical dissolver.
The Altman Patent discloses a steam outlet head with a dispenser for a fragrance or medicant. It has an inlet port, an outlet port and a connecting interior channel for passage of steam through the head. A reservoir is positioned on top of the steam outlet head for retaining the fragrance. An orifice connects the reservoir with the channel to mix the fragrance or medicant with the steam passing through the head.
The James Patent discloses a shewerhead and liquid agent dispensing attachment. It comprises a valve which interconnects a source of pressurized water and a supply of liquid agent to a showerhead by which one control adjustment accomplishes proportioning, mixing and aeration of the fluid.
The Buzzi Patent discloses a device for aspirating and admixing additives into a stream. It comprises an injector with a main bore, increasing in width in the flow direction, and suction bores communicating with the main bore. A liquid-return-flow interrupter is arranged at the inlet side of the injector and is in the form of a free jet air chamber communicating with the open air through corresponding openings and adapted to be bridge by the liquid concentrated into a fine jet by a nozzle bore.
The Plotz Patent discloses a showerhead.
The Usher Patent discloses a device for the introduction of fluent medium into a main flow of liquid passing along a closed passage. The device has a casing adapted to connected with the passage so that a fluent medium feed cavity in the casing communicates hydraulically with the passage as a result of forming a break in the passage.
The Lemond Patent discloses a showerhead additive dispenser. It comprises a centrally bored tubular member with opposite ends respectively connected to a showerhead and a main water supply conduit for passage of the shower water through the bore. A removably attachable container is connected to the tubular member by tubes. A control valve is provided to control the amount of water diverted from an inlet portion of the bored tubular member into and through the container so that such diverted water may pick up bath oil or other additives contained within the container and carry them back into the tubular member on an outlet side for mixing with the main flow of water going to the showerhead.
The O'Hare Patent discloses a fluid mixing and dispensing apparatus.
The Lopez Patent discloses a showerhead with a secondary liquid dispenser. The showerhead has a compartment in which a hygienic liquid is stored and selectively mixed into the water stream. A valve is positioned in the compartment and a valve operator disposed outside the showerhead selectively opens the valve to dispense the liquid.
The Seymour Patent discloses a dispensing showerhead. It comprises an enclosure adapted to be connected to a water supply. The enclosure has a container which carries a cartridge rotatable to present different bath preparations to a stream of water passing through a flow path in the enclosure and out of a showerhead opening in one end of the enclosure.
The Migliozzi Patent discloses a multi-carrier dispenser fixture for showerheads.
The Pollinzi Patent discloses an automatic shower dispenser for automatically mixing controlled amounts of liquid additive to the shower water. The dispenser is attachable to the water inlet pipe and includes a plastic refillable container for holding the liquid additive and dispensing it under the flow of gravity. A valve is positioned over the mouth of the receptacle for controlling the flow of the liquid additive.
The Karp Patent discloses a fluid dispenser for a showerhead. The dispenser is mounted between a pressurized water pipe and a shower nozzle. A fluid reservoir is mounted on top of the dispenser for storing the fluid to be dispensed.
The Legros Patent discloses a device for aerating and chemically activating shower water. The device is attached to the showerhead. It comprises a first mixing chamber for mixing water and air, and a second mixing chamber for mixing the aerated water with a chemical.
The Davison Patent discloses a showerhead fluid dispenser. It comprises a valve block for selectively dispensing one of plurality of select liquids into the water stream discharged by the shower nozzle.
The Fugent Patent discloses a bathroom mixing device. It comprises a main body with two opposite passages for communicating with a cylindrical chamber. A revolvable cylinder is located within the chamber for control of and routing of fluids passing therethrough.
The Davis Patent discloses a quick shower or power shower.
The Pitroda Patent discloses a shower device which stores one or more additives, and allows injection and mixing of the additives into the water stream delivered to a showerhead. A passage for the water stream provides a pressure differential sufficient to draw the additives into the water stream, while check valves are used to prevent backflow of the additives
The Greenhut Patent discloses a shower dispenser container-receiver coupling system. The system is used for connecting a bottle to a shower dispenser. The bottle has a cam on its neck and the shower dispenser receiver into which the container can be screwed has a slot forming a detent that is deflected by the cam as the container is turned, to resist unscrewing in of the container.
The Kaeser Patent discloses an automatic mixing device for use in a showerhead.
The Pronk Patent discloses a liquid adding apparatus and method for a shower fixture. The apparatus adds the liquid soap or some other liquid to the water stream which flows through a showerhead.
The Wagner Patent discloses a cleaning apparatus and method for bath enclosures.
The Poe Patent discloses a coupling for mixing lotions or other liquids with shower water. It comprises a coupling body with an inlet portion and an outlet portion with a flow path. A mixing chamber is mounted in fluid communication with the flow path through the coupling body which serves to selectively mix liquid with the water.
The Cupit Patent discloses a showerhead dispenser. It comprises a showerhead mounted to discharge a water spray along a declining axis and a reservoir mounted on top of the showerhead and having a discharge port immediately adjacent and alongside the spray outlet of the showerhead.
The Lane Patent discloses a shower fixture for dispensing liquid soap into or adjacent to a water stream emitted from a primary showerhead.
The Halem Patent discloses a fluid dispensing and mixing device for dispensing a predetermined total amount of a selected additive into a water steam, with the rate of mixing of the additive and water being controlled by the water pressure. A pump is used to dispense the additive from a storage chamber.
The Chambers Patent discloses a shower head assembly.
The Wei Patent discloses a multi-function showerhead. It comprises a showerhead body mounted at the upper end of a grip several units for making bubbles, message, scrubbing, etc. passable to be selectably and additionally attached on the showerhead body.
The Berry Patent discloses a shower soap system.
The Ohyama Patent discloses a shower bathing device. It comprises a passage through which hot water is passed, a chamber filled with medical solution to supply the medical solution into the passage, a stream pump for mixing the medical solution in the chamber with hot water passing through the passage, and a screw inserted into a through hole for adjusting the amount of the medical solution supplied to the stream pump.
The Garneys Patent discloses a soap dispenser insert for a showerhead.
The Conte Patent discloses an unitary, multi-purpose, self-contained selection, dilution, mixing and dispensing apparatus.
The Smyrl Patent discloses a showerhead with selectable liquid dispenser.
It is highly desirable to have a very efficient and also very effective design and construction of a showerhead attachment for generating aromas. It is also desirable to provide a showerhead attachment with the capability of creating an aromatic environment in a bathroom or a shower stall, that will do so by using the force of the pressurized water supply, and that will avoid exposing the person's body directly to the aromatic material.